Hi everyone, I am in the process of writing a book about how Diabetes and Dentistry relate.
I am a dentist who is certified to treat Diabetes and as a pre-diabetics myself I thought it was time that
I wrote a book in regards to this subject. Especially one that everyone can understand,easy to read and very educational.
I would really appreciate it if you could give me some feedback as to what you would want to know. Imagine that you have come to may office and you can ask me anything you want. What would that question be?
There are many unanswered questions that need to be addressed and I would love to be the one who helps you find the answer.
There was a discussion about dental health and D here a few months ago - sorry, I can’t seem to find it.
I think the first question, albeit extremely broad, is how does D affect dental health? Does the sugar content in saliva rise with rises in BG causing more cavities? Thanks, this is an important topic for which I haven’t seen a lot of resources.
I think a book is sorely needed in this area. I am fortunate, my dentist and perio are quite diabates savvy, monitoring my diabetes control and factoring it into their decisions. Dentists are actually in the front line, they could be a primary source of screening for diabetes as they often see the first indications of blood sugar problems in the teeth of their patients.
Personnaly, I have had dental problems clearly complicated by my diabetes. My gum problems have required me to be under the sustained care of a perio for years. My questions are
What are the recommendations for aggressive home dental care for patients with diabetes (are they different than for non-diabetics)?
What do you think of the use of oral irrigators and various mouth washes and rinses?
Hello. I have a question about something I just read . Have you ever heard of a Book ( How to reverse Diabetes now by Matt Traverso from england)? I read a letter that he and another doctor wrote and it made a lot of since . He was saying in ref to our body and a car that if we put garbage such as bad foods in over time our body or car would start to not run rite and eventually break down. He was refering to bad foods ect. He suggested many good foods and how they would help regulate the body over time to help rejuvenate the organs in the body to reduce pillls and insulin. the letter makes a lot of since and in the past month I have several friends that are now type 2. Seems weird so many people are starting to get this desease. Makes the letter seem even more convensing that changing food habits and exercising play a big part in the desease. It talked about how over time medicines ect are part of the problem because of effects they have on the body and organs over time. sometimes causeing even more complications with organs. Reading the letter it was exciting because it really made since and so much money is going to research with no cure in site. the fact people dont even have this in there family and just show up with it amazes me. why would they really allow a cure if they lost a lot of money. Think of this. We find a cure. doctors, pharmacys, hospital ect lose money and wow what would they do than. Hope I’m making some since its late and I’m tired. Hope to here back very interested. Kimberly
Your Story unfortunately is not and exception. In my practice I see this daily and I beg patients that Periodontal Disease is truly very dangerous for a person with Diabetes. My father died from complications due to this and other factors. So its very close to my heart. I also feel that he is guiding me (in a way) to help others and spread the word.
With your permission I would like to include your story in a presentation I am giving on National Diabetes Day Nov. 12, 2011.
Many people do not realize the impact Periodontal disease has on a person with Diabetes. But with your Story you can help by helping me save lives.
I would also like to reference your story in my book. Of course without using your name.
No I have not heard of Book. Diabetes if its type2 can be reversed unlike Periodontal Disease as Alan mentioned has NO cure. This is why its so important that once you are Diagnosed with Gingivitis you treat it immediately. That is the ONLY form on gum disease that is reversible. Once go pass into Early Periodontics then its to late.
I feel that there are cures for many diseases but since you mentioned many interests would lose a lot of money we are kept in the dark.
Maritza, have you seen a higher incidence of cavities in PWD? 6 yrs after my dx I started having 1-2 small cavities every time I saw my dentist. My gums are in great shape tg. My dentist is wonderful but doesn’t know of any relationship between D and decay. Are there any references I can pass on to him?
Unfortunately, the idea that diabetes (and type 2 diabetes in particular) can be reversed is just not true. You can “manage” the condition, but there is no credible evidence that you can reverse or cure diabetes. We often have claims made about reversal and cures, whether it is this Matt Traverso or Gabriel Cousens claiming that a raw vegan diet can cure type 1 diabetes. This book “Reverse Diabetes Now” is an e-book, sold by Traverso, a public speaker from UK on the internet. Not a central reference book in my library.
I wait patiently for evidence of reversal. All the evidence that I have seen suggests that type 2 diabetics have lost “most” of their beta cell function by the time they are diagnosed and no treatment has ever demonstrated that you can regenerate your beta cell function.
I do agree that diet plays a big role in diabetes and dental care, but often not in ways that the mainstream suggests. The early pioneer Weston Price found that many primitive diets resulted in few dental problems. The diets Price found were often very different than the grain based diets of modern americans and by some measure the Paleo diets that are the current rage harken back to those roots.
We have often argued that sweets are a “cause” of dental problems since they lead to high glucose levels in the mouth. But for us diabetics, it is carbs which cause our entire bloodstream to have high glucose levels and this results in our mouths having high glucose levels despite having brushed our teeth and having sworn off sweets.
Many of us have other health issues that play into our dental health. Two years ago I started having problems with a dry mouth. It started right around when my thyroid decided to take a nose-dive and I read that dry mouth is common in people with Hashimotos – diabetes & thyroid are a common link. This year, the dryness spread and I was tested for Sjogren’s this summer. The tests came back negative but it can take on average 6 ½ years to get diagnosed with that. My eye doctor told me that the only thing my testing negative told me was that I tested negative. I knew on day one that the rheumatologist was not going to be a keeper because he was not up on current treatments, so I am going to see someone else and get another opinion. My lip biopsy also came back negative but after I had that done, I learned that they should have taken at least 4 salivary glands for a sample and they did not do that.
I also have autonomic neuropathy which can affect your moisture producing glands so it is possible the problems are caused by that. However, my A1cs have been in the 5s the last 3 ½ years other than 1 which was 6.1. From what I read, once your BS gets under control, you will regain moisture at least in your eyes. I am not convinced that the autonomic neuropathy is the cause since mine started 3 years after my A1cs went into the 5s (and the were in the 6s a little over a year before the 5s). I plan on bringing up the autonomic neuropathy with my eye doctor when I see him in 2 weeks because I was not really aware of that part when I saw him in August.
I was prescribed Evoxac for the dryness in my mouth and that seemed seemed to help in the beginning but doesn’t seem to work anymore.
My question is for those of us that have good blood sugar control but other problems common in diabetics, especially those causing the dryness, what can we do to help preserve our teeth? I used to have really good, strong teeth and they are literally crumbling before my eyes!
Kelly, I don’t have dryness, just decay. I suspect it’s a result of prolonged elevated blood sugars years ago but haven’t found evidence to support that (or not). My teeth were also good, an occasional cavity, so something has changed.
That could be the case Jrtpup. I am sure that has to be part of it for both us - my BS was on a ride roller coaster ride for a couple years thanks to Lantus & gastroparesis. But we also have something that others don’t have - the dead people factor - did we inherit their problems?
It’s supposed to be totally sterile, but who knows what migrates or mutates!